


It's Cute You Think This Is My First Kidnapping

by WriterMom3010



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-10-16 23:09:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10581417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterMom3010/pseuds/WriterMom3010
Summary: Just a little head cannon about what happens during Oliver's birthday. Doubt it will be anything like this in the show, but still fun to think about!





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Thinking this will be about 3 chapters! My first multi-chapter. Here we go!

Oliver looks around the conference room at City Hall and can’t help the small smile that creeps onto his face. These people meant everything to him. He has lost a lot of family in his lifetime, but he has gained a lot of people too. There was Thea, his full sister, no matter who her father was. And John, his steady hand, his brother. Quentin, his almost-father-in-law, who has become a more integral man in his life without the title than he ever would have been with it. Rene and Dinah. Not long ago they were strangers and now they not only fight alongside each other, but they fight for each other. And then there’s Felicity. She almost became his official family as his wife just over a year ago, but ring or no ring, she will always be the most important person in his life. And, if he’s honest with himself, he still hopes that someday she will be his official family. After they finally talked (well, really, after he finally actually listened), he thinks that sliver of hope might be a little bit bigger than it used to be. 

It's been a while since Oliver has celebrated his birthday. There was too much danger to himself and the city to be bothered with it since coming back home and dates and celebrations just weren’t something he could even think about while away. But, this year, Thea thought it would be good publicity for the Mayor’s office and planned a party months ago while she was still his chief of staff. Now that all the city leaders have left and the publicity stunt is over, the genuine celebration begins, with the few people in the world that actually know Oliver Queen. He thinks that as Ollie he had a lot of friends, but Tommy and Thea, and, to an extent Laurel, were the only people who truly knew him. Now, he only has a couple of friends, but more people truly know him than ever before. Oliver will take quality over quantity any day. 

He catches Felicity’s eye across the room. She’s chatting with Thea near the window and has a genuine smile on her face. It has been months since he has seen that smile. Maybe even an entire year. Since Havenrock. Malcolm took Tommy’s life and Slade took his mother’s, but Darkh took Laurel’s and then a piece of Felicity’s soul, so Oliver thinks he may hate Damien the most. Felicity is supposed to not only light his way, but everyone’s. She is the team’s light in the darkness that is their lives, but she hasn’t been for a while, not really. And for that, he doesn’t think there is any justice that would have been good enough for Darkh.  
Oliver grins back, grateful for every smile they send each other’s way. He takes a step toward her when he hears the window crashing open. Before he even turns his head, he knows who it is. It has been almost ten years since the Gambit went down and over those ten years Oliver has gotten pretty good at sensing danger. Still, the sight of Adrian, Talia, and Evelyn makes his stomach tighten and his hands fist. The smug look on Chase’s face, Talia’s calm demeanor, and Evelyn’s slightly nervous posture only increase both his worry and his anger. 

“Happy Birthday Oliver! I must say, I was quite hurt when I never received an invite. I’m sure it was just an oversight by your administration.” Chase declares to the now silent room, glancing at Thea.

“I can’t believe I didn’t remember to add “serial killing nut job” to the guest list.” Thea cheekily retorts, arms crossed, attempting to portray an air of indifference that Oliver can see right through. She’s scared. And pissed. He is too.

“There’s always next year,” Chase responds gleefully. Chase and company have barely been there a minute and Oliver is already exhausted from dealing with them. He sees Curtis and Rene out of the corner of his eye, both looking at Evelyn, seemingly pleading with their eyes to have her stop all of this. Curtis looks heart broken and Rene looks as if his fury is barely under control, ready to boil over at any minute. This can’t continue. Oliver needs to know what is going on.

“What do you want, Adrian?” Oliver asks in as calm of a voice as he can manage. He sees Diggle with a hand on his back, ready to pull his gun out of its holster in a seconds notice. He takes a split second to revel in John’s readiness and how grateful he is for a partner with whom he is almost always in sync. Oliver turns his attention back to the trio of allies-turned-opponents in the front of the room.

“Ah, Oliver. I want what I have always wanted. For you to be the killer that you are.” Oliver realizes that is what all three of them want. They want him to prove their preconceptions. They need him to be a monster because that is how they have always perceived him. This is the only way to turn their delusions into truth and justify their actions.

“That’s not going to happen, Chase.”

“Are you sure about that, Oliver? Because I have watched you for years. I know what makes you tick. I know just what buttons to push to bring out the monster you work so hard to keep at bay. I know just which people, and just what places, are needed to break you. I had hoped that our little torture session would be enough, but you proved to me what you said when we first started our little vacay, that your team is your strength. I think, though, that they might also be the perfect persuasion.” As Oliver tries to comprehend Chase’s words, he sees Talia and Evelyn move out of the corner of his eye. Evelyn raises a gun to Thea’s head while Talia grabs hold of Felicity, dragging her over next to Chase. All of a sudden, every gun is raised and Oliver is itching for his bow. He catches Thea’s eye, letting her know with a look to wait. Even with everything Oliver taught Evelyn, Thea can still disarm her quickly, but they need to know Prometheus’s plan before they let everything go to hell.  
“You see Oliver,” Talia speaks for the first time, “you have inadvertently or eve advertently taken someone important away from each of us. It turned us into the people we are today. Now it is time we return the favor.” Oliver’s heartbeat quickens. He can’t let them hurt Felicity. And he realizes they are right. He would do anything before he allowed them to hurt her. Like always, he needs her strength, so Oliver looks at Felicity and realizes she has remained perfectly calm throughout the entire ordeal. He’s not the only one that’s noticed.

“You don’t seem afraid,” Talia comments, “I’m impressed.”

Felicity smirks as she responds “It’s cute you think this is my first kidnapping. Also, you should know that your sister is way more terrifying than you.”

Oliver almost laughs out loud as Talia’s face moves from placid to flustered to frustrated all in the course of a few seconds. Only Felicity. Only Felicity could bring lightness to her own kidnapping. The word kidnapping quickly brings him back to the moment. She may be calm, but she is still in danger and insulting your kidnapper is never a good plan. 

“Ah, Ms. Smoak. You do not disappoint. I think we are going to have a spectacular time together.” Chase declares.

“Somehow I doubt that.” Felicity mumbles and Oliver wonders if she intended to say that out loud. She's putting up a strong front, but he can tell her walls are starting to crumble.

“Well, fun time or not, we do need to get going.” Adrian responds as he and Talia step back toward the window. And with that Team Arrow begins to move. Thea elbows Evelyn, swiftly kicks her legs out from under her, retrieves the gun and keeps it pointed right at her. Diggle, Rene, Curtis, Quentin and Dinah go for Talia and Felicity while Oliver approaches Chase. Six on two should give Team Arrow the advantage, but Oliver knows better. He knows Adrian planned for this, but they still have to try. It’s Felicity, after all. They have to try everything. He rushes forward, but before any of them can reach that side of the room, Chase and Talia have fired their grappling hook arrows and vanished with Felicity into the night.


	2. He Has To Be Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver realizes what just happened and in a conversation with Chase and Talia, Felicity learns more about why she was taken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and for all your encouragement with the last chapter. I was hoping for some longer chapters, but it's hard to find a long enough time to write with two toddlers running around! Instead, I'll probably post shorter chapters, but more of them than originally planned!

Oliver fell to his knees as he stared out the window. Everything happened so fast and now she is gone. It was like he didn’t put up a fight at all. He’s wondering how he is supposed to put up a fight against Prometheus now, without Felicity. How is he supposed to save Felicity without Felicity’s help? There’s a ringing in his ears as the rest of the world falls away and all he hears is the beating of his heart and the unevenness of his breathing, the ache in his chest that had finally begun to lessen as him and Felicity started to rebuild their relationship is back with a vengeance, weightier than ever. For the first time in almost five years, Felicity is gone and he doesn’t know how to reach her. He is so afraid of what Chase might do to her. He’s seen firsthand the power Adrian has to break somebody and he can’t let that happen to Felicity. Truth be told, a tiny part of him is afraid Chase will turn her against him, like he did Evelyn. But then Oliver thinks about all the times Felicity stood by his side even when facing life threatening danger and when he has least deserved it:

_If you’re not leaving, I’m not leaving._

_I want to be with you, unsafe._

_You are the man I believe in._

_You thought I was leaving too? Not a chance._

She believed and she didn’t leave. Chase isn’t going to change that and he is going to do everything in his power to be worthy of her faith. So, Oliver stands up and looks over at Evelyn, still on the floor with multiple guns pointed at her now. His team faces him as they hear him rise.

“Let’s get her back to the bunker and see what she can tell us,” Oliver orders. Curtis and Rene each grab an arm and pull her off the ground, forcing her toward the door, with Thea keeping the gun raised. Evelyn’s not putting up much of a fight and Oliver hopes it’s because she knows she’s outnumbered and not because Chase wanted her to get caught. Diggle runs ahead to get the van and drive it around back since none of them are in their suits and they really don’t want to have to explain why they are dragging a young woman out of City Hall.

Quentin agrees to stay behind and deal with the police. The broken window and haphazard conference room will bring up questions on Monday. Besides, Quentin points out, if the police know about Felicity’s abduction then they will have two witnesses to call against Chase to put him away for kidnapping, even though the murder charges should stick with the video evidence Felicity uncovered. Oliver’s not sure Chase will even be alive to go to trial, but he’s willing to take whatever precautions necessary to make sure Adrian never sees the streets of Starling again. He realizes Chase has now kidnapped two of his exes and that Susan’s was just the beginning. Oliver also knows that Chase is too arrogant and too planned to kidnap Felicity just to torment Oliver. Chase already did that once with Susan, and while the pain and worry is overwhelming at the loss of Felicity, Oliver knows there must be something more at play. But what is his next move?

********

Felicity feels like she’s going to vomit. And it’s not just that she was kidnapped by a psychopath. It’s more a swinging through the air thing. Haven’t people learned by now that she doesn’t do heights? She’s proud of herself for not screaming. She’s terrified, but she is doing her best not to let it show. She doesn’t want to give Chase and Talia any weaknesses to exploit.

There’s a black van waiting for them on the side of the building across the street from City Hall. Prometheus throws open the back door as Talia, who has dragged Felicity around the corner, pushes her in and slams it shut. It is the most non-descript van Felicity could imagine. She’s not surprised. Chase is smart and he would know that she’s a detail person and that over the years she has learned to be observant. Once she decides there is nothing about the van that can help her, she turns her attention to the front seat, where Adrian and Talia sit. She’s a little offended they didn’t even bother to tie her up. She knows she’s petite and more behind-the-scenes than in the field, but she’s had training from ex-special forces, ex-League, and Oliver. Really, though, who is she kidding. Even one-on-one, she couldn’t take either of them. But, still, the fact that they are not worried at all is annoying. And a bit disheartening. According to the two most important men in her life, Felicity has two superpowers: her brain and her empathy. She can’t take these two physically, but she can use her other skills and figure a way out.

Chase is smart and has been planning this for years. Talia is more of an unknown. And while Felicity typically hates unknowns (mysteries have to be solved), she thinks it might be an advantage this time.

“I met your dad, you know.” Felicity announces to Talia, finally breaking the overwhelming silence of the van. Talia whips her head around, eyes wide in shock.

“Pardon me?” Felicity’s not sure why the al Ghul’s all talk like this. They were members of an ancient league, she gets it, but that doesn’t mean they must speak as if they’re from another century. Although, Ras might very well have been, Felicity surmises.

“Two years ago, I met your dad. We went to Nanda Parbat. He spoke to me privately-“

“He gave you, a silly trespasser, a private audience?” Talia scoffed as if she couldn’t believe her father would ever do such a thing.

“I’m pretty sure he was just trying to butter me up before he killed me. Which, by the way, he did try to do the next time we went and had already planned on doing since he expected Oliver to poison our whole city. Or, perhaps, he had a sliver of a soul and wanted Oliver to know he was loved before the League stripped him of everything.” It was a gamble, admitting her and Oliver’s previous relationship to Talia, but she assumes Chase has already told her, since that is probably at least part of the reason she was taken. And yeah, that’s the last time she’s using the word “taken” to describe what has happened to her. Because, even in her head, now all she can think about is being rescued by Liam Neeson, and, honestly, she’s hoping to just rescue herself.

“So you’ve met my father and my sister?” Felicity can tell that Talia is trying to remain calm, but she is actually affronted that plain ol’ Felicity knew both the Demon and the Demon’s heir.

“More than met, I suppose. I kept your dad from destroying my city and worked with your sister to save it. And, because of that I really don’t understand your vendetta. Chase here, sure, because he’s a psychopath. But you, you’re not crazy and you don’t strike me as a particularly vengeful person. Your dad literally teaches people how to kill for a living, passed over Nyssa as the next Ras because she was a woman, and then forced her to marry someone she didn’t love. Not the greatest guy in the world. He literally calls himself the Demon’s head. You get how that makes him look, right?” Talia looks at her questioningly. “Oh, come on. If you name yourself the Demon, then you are announcing to the world that you suck. On top of all that, he stabbed Oliver with a sword and kicked him off a mountain, killed his sister, tried to brainwash him, attempted to poison an entire city of people, and then left Oliver no choice but to kill him or be killed. So, I’m still a little confused why you have joined Chase here on his nutty crusade.”

“Felicity, Felicity, Felicity. You think you are just so smart.” Chase speaks for the first time since they get in the van and Felicity wants nothing more than to smack that annoying smirk right off his annoying face. He continues, “Trying to remove Talia from play is a good move. Unfortunately, I don’t need her to accomplish anything. It is just an added joy watching Oliver’s face every time someone he used to trust turns against him. I tried to do that with you by having him kill Billy, but your connection proved stronger than expected. But, don’t worry, this little rendezvous is about more than hurting Oliver by abducting you from right under his nose. It’s about having him know you died while hating him.”

“I could never hate him, you know that.” Felicity implores Chase, attempting to get more out of him about his plan in hopes of escaping and, you know, not dying.

“You say that now, but I have a feeling that with everything he has put you through, you’re one tragedy away from completely breaking.” Chase responds, sounding way too cheery and smug for Felicity’s liking.

He’s wrong, Felicity tells herself as she leans back in her seat, watching the lights of Star City, her city, go by as the van continues to make its way out of town. He has to be wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a sick kid, that kid's birthday, my husband's birthday, and family in town between now and Sunday! I'll shoot to have the next chapter up early next week, though!
> 
> Twitter: annieworsman


	3. They Were Actually About Hurting Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Arrow tries to figure out what's going on in Chase's head and Felicity is not happy about where Chase and Talia are taking her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lot's of dialogue in this one! Setting up some things to come!

Oliver leans over Felicity’s work space, hands flat on the desk, head bent down, letting the whir of her computers drown out the nervous whispering happening behind him. His team is worried. They’re worried about Felicity, but they are also worried about him. Curtis, Rene, and Dinah are concerned he’s going to pull away, similar to after the last time Chase tried, and almost succeeded, to break him. Thea remembers what he was like when Felicity was in the hospital after her shooting and is waiting for him to go out, arrows flying, without a plan. He imagines Diggle is standing there, arms crossed, attempting to temper his fear of losing Felicity while waiting for Oliver’s command. Digg knows that Oliver isn’t the same guy as he was during either of those moments. Sure, he feels adrift, without Felicity there to anchor him, but he has a team and he’s going to use them. She created this team and there is no one he trusts more in this world than Felicity, so he straightens his back and turns around, ready to address them.

“What do we know?” Oliver asks, keeping his voice level, attempting to remain as collected as possible. He has learned over the years that caring about people is a strength, not a weakness, but this still isn’t the time to be emotional. Level-headedness and focus is what he needs.

“Chase never does anything without having at least the next several steps already planned out.” Diggle volunteers. “I think that means he has a greater purpose for taking Felicity than making us worry and even than leaving our team one member short, despite how necessary she is. This probably also means that us obtaining Evelyn was planned too.” As usual, Digg states exactly what Oliver was thinking.

“But why would he want us to have a someone on his team? She could expose his plan.” Curtis questions. Oliver gets the feeling that Curtis wants to persuade Evelyn back to their side, but if she’s just a plant and not actually their prisoner, her betrayal remains intact.

“Knowing Chase, that might be exactly what he wants: for her to divulge just the right amount of the plan at just the right time for the greatest impact.” Everyone in the room stares at Dinah.

“Damn, she’s right,” Diggle exhales after a long silence. “He is so sure of himself and his plan, he can’t imagine anything going wrong and he would want to prove just how much smarter and more dangerous he is.”

“Then that’s how we stop him.” Oliver looks each of his friends in the eye. “We use his arrogance against him. Every bad guy this team has faced-“

“Big bads,” Thea interrupts.

“What?”

“That’s what Felicity called them: Malcolm, Slade, Ras, Darkh. The Big Bads, with capital Bs.”

Oliver huffs and everyone smiles. That sounded exactly like Felicity and the reminder motivates them even more.

“Well, then, every _Big Bad_ this team has faced has been arrogant. They are always sure of their victory. And, some of them were victorious, at least in part. But, never fully. And Chase won’t be either. We fight back. We surprise him for a change.” Oliver continues, sounding more confident with every phrase.

“How do we do that?” Rene asks, seemingly still unsure they are up to the challenge.

“We start with Evelyn. I don’t know if we can completely turn her against Chase, but we can play into her humanity. She left the team because she found out that the Green Arrow and the Hood were the same guy. That I’ve been a killer. But you, Rene, and you, Curtis, you two started this team with her, you know her and she knows you. You aren’t killers. You work with me, but you aren’t me. If anyone is going to get through to her, it’s you two. Start with Prometheus sending Curtis to the hospital and makes sure she knows each and every person Chase has killed, including his own wife. If she still thinks I’m a serial killer, then she needs to understand he is too.” Curtis and Rene nod at Oliver and walk out of the main area of the bunker to the cell where they had Evelyn locked up.

“And us?” Dinah asked, bringing Oliver’s attention back to the other three people in the room.

“Dinah, call Quentin and see if the SCPD learned anything from the crime scene. Thea, go over all the information we have on Chase. I know it won’t be as fast as if it were Curtis or Felicity, but it could help to have a fresh set of eyes on everything we’ve found. Take your time and let us know if you find anything interesting.” Thea immediately walked around Oliver to Felicity’s computer station, taking a deep breath before sitting in the chair that was supposed to be occupied by someone else, by the person she considered a sister, even if it was never made official. After staring for a beat too long at the place Felicity should have been but wasn’t, Oliver turned to Diggle. To his surprise, Diggle had already walked away, heading over to change. Of course, by now Oliver should be used to Digg knowing exactly what he needed before he even asked.

The two remaining members of the original Team Arrow began to spar after changing out of their party clothes. Oliver knows it won't be long before John wants to talk, so Oliver takes advantage of the time he was given to release some of his anger and stress with only the sound of grunts and the occasional typing on the keyboard from behind him. Apparently John also needed some time to focus on something physical, because it was several minutes longer than usual before he broke the silence.

“It doesn’t make sense.” Diggle spoke in between his grunts of exertion as he attempts to strike Oliver.

“What doesn’t make sense?” Oliver inquires, blocking another one of Digg’s punches.

“Chase going after Felicity. He’s already tried to hurt you through her twice, with Billy and then with Helix. Why would he use her again if he’s only failed in the past? What makes this time different?” Diggle questions, landing a hard hit as his frustration with missing Felicity and yet again being foiled by Chase. Oliver holds up a hand and backs up a step, contemplating Diggle’s latest assessment. He’s right. This isn’t like Chase. Try, try again isn’t exactly Chase’s motto. He didn’t seem frustrated by his failures. Oliver always assumed he just knew how to remain levelheaded in his pursuit, but maybe those failures weren’t failures.

“Do you think he’s just trying to confuse me? To make me look in the wrong places?” Oliver asks, hands on his hips, body slightly tilted forward in irritation. Diggle considers Oliver’s question for a moment before responding:

“I think that his previous efforts with Felicity weren’t about hurting you through her, but they were actually about hurting her.

**********

Felicity’s confusion continued to grow as Chase drove the van out of Star City and started down a road that Felicity has purposely avoided the past year. It has to be coincidence. They were probably just driving through. The farther they go, though, the familiar roads have her mind on high alert, but her heart almost slowed to a stop. This place is full of memories. It may be the one place in her life that is full of only happy ones. While the turns her life has taken haven’t tarnished the memories, the idea of being surrounded by them makes it hard for her to breathe. She remembers the calm and the utter bliss. She knows she was bored, but, sometimes, she thinks she would give it all up for just another day of the quiet joy despite the boredom that went with it.

Ivy Town was the place the future with Oliver she had dreamed about began to become reality. The place where Oliver’s face was rarely without a smile. And, gosh, sometimes she missed that so much her heart seemed to physically ache. When they left, she thought the home they would build in Star City would be their actual happy place. That they would be together, but also saving the city. That’s how it should be. But that didn’t happen, their life together in Star City now tainted with distrust and necessary separation. As she thinks back over the past few years, Ivy Town might in fact be the one untarnished place in her life.

She should have known from the second they drove by the “Welcome to Ivy Town” sign that this is where they were going. Chase is just as much about the emotional torture as he is the physical. In fact, that seems to be his game plan. It’s smart. Physical pain you can learn to live with, but emotional pain can last a lifetime. If breaking her is what Chase is trying to do, then her heart is a good place to start. And this place, Felicity thinks as the van pulls into the driveway of an all-too-familiar house, is the perfect place to do it.

The untarnished place was about to be marred.

*********

“I should probably approach first,” Curtis suggests to Rene. “I have a gentler persona and since our goal is to appeal to her heart, not to scare her, I am most likely the better candidate.” Rene throws him an incredulous look, but agrees to go along with the plan anyway. As the two teammates walk over to the cage, the coolness with which they intended to display quickly disappears as they see the young woman who betrayed them once again.

“How could you!” Curtis shouts as he grabs a hold of two of the cage’s bars. “We were friends, but because of you, Prometheus literally sent me to the hospital! I could have died!”

“So much for the gentler persona,” Rene mutters, silently proud of his friend. Strategically remaining collected was important, but they needed this. They needed to let her know she didn’t just give up Oliver, she abandoned and endangered them all. “Look,” he continues louder this time, as he addresses Evelyn, “you were pissed that Oliver used to be a killer seemingly without remorse. We all were. But you left one serial killer for another and this time you’re an accessory to his murders.” Evelyn’s head jerked toward Rene.

“I haven’t killed anyone!”

“No, but you’re helping a man who killed innocent people, including his wife, solely to prove a point. That’s close enough,” Curtis responded, his anger redirected toward Prometheus’ victims instead of just his experience.

“The Green Arrow needs to be brought to justice!” Evelyn cried, grabbing the bars in between the two men, head swiveling back and forth as she attempts to persuade them.

“There’s justice and then there’s revenge,” Rene explained, portraying the confidence he feels growing as he reflects upon the past several months. “I used to think they were the same, but it was Oliver and this team, which includes Felicity, that helped me learn the difference.”

“And Felicity is the reason why we’re here. We want you to leave Chase, to see the error of his ways, and help us stop him. But what we really need is to save Felicity. To rescue her before he adds her to his list of victims,” Curtis continues.

“He already promised me he was done killing,” Evelyn answers placidly before a smirk they recognize, but have never before feared, emerges on her face, “but that doesn’t mean he won’t get someone else to do it for him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, y'all! Hoping to get the next chapter up either tomorrow night or Wednesday!
> 
>  
> 
> Twitter: annieworsman


	4. The Craziest Stuff Happens in Suburbia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and for all your encouragement! Knowing y'all are enjoying the story makes it even more fun to write!

“Why are we here, Chase?” Felicity asks, not even trying to keep the venom out of her voice. She takes in the house that used to belong to her and Oliver. Not much has changed, although there are a few more flowers than when they lived there. Felicity wasn’t exactly a green thumb and a garden was one of the things on Oliver’s house to-do list that he didn’t accomplish before they moved back to Star City. She would call it a honey-do list, except he wrote the list himself and couldn’t wait to accomplish each item on it. Felicity smiles at the memory and feels a little guilty at asking Oliver to leave a place he loved so much, but they belonged in Star City, of that she was convinced. The city needed the Green Arrow and Overwatch and Oliver and Felicity needed them too.

Felicity briefly wonders how Chase and Talia think they can get away with anything in a neighborhood like this one. She then realizes that if television has taught her anything, it’s that the craziest stuff happens in suburbia. Also, it’s the middle of the night, she doubts even one person notices them.

“We thought you would want a few minutes of comfort before our fun really begins.” Chase responds gleefully.

“And we need to pick up something we’re storing here,” Talia adds, the irritation in her voice indicating how useless she deems Adrian’s theatrics to be, which Felicity finds ironic considering the Green Arrow is the most theatrical person she knows and Talia helped make him. She wonders if this is the first time Talia has realized Chase chose this house because of Felicity, that it serves a purpose beyond storage. Felicity files this thought away, knowing that if Chase is keeping Talia in the dark about parts of the plan, there will be ways to use that to her advantage.

The sound of doors opening draws Felicity out of her thoughts as Chase and Talia step out of the van. Chase opens her door with a smirk and a hand outstretched as if to say “after you.” For a quick second, Felicity thinks about running, but Talia has come around the front of the van and with one of her kidnappers in front of and one behind her (and both way more in shape anyway), she knows she doesn’t stand a chance of getting away and trying to escape will only make things worse. Besides, she is really curious about what exactly they are keeping in her house. Chase grabs her by the elbow and leads her toward the front door. He stops right outside and pulls out a key. Turning to Felicity, he says,

“Ready for surprise number one?” Felicity is pretty sure she is, in fact, not ready, that she will probably never be ready. She is overwhelmed by the nostalgia she feels just being outside her old home. She’s not sure she can handle going inside and seeing whatever it is they have stored for Prometheus’ plan. But she’s aware she has no choice. So, Felicity squares her shoulders, steels herself, and forces out a sarcastic:

“Can’t wait.” 

And, with that, Chase inserts the key into the lock, glances back at Felicity with a look of anticipation on his face, turns the knob and crosses the threshold as the door opens. With Talia waiting behind her, Felicity moves forward, entering the place which was once her sanctuary.

Her first thought is that the house is dark. It’s the middle of the night and is supposed to be dark, but it’s extra dark and as her eyes adjust, she notices the blackout shades covering all the windows. It’s then she hears a muffled sound coming from the living room and she notices for the first time the couches have been pushed to the edges of the room and there are two chairs set up in the middle. Two chairs with two very real people tied to them. It’s too dark to determine much about them other than one is a lot taller than the other. Almost like the one on the left is a child. And that’s when it hits her and Felicity gasps. She feels like she’s going to vomit. Tears stinging her eyes and filled with an anger unlike anything she’s ever experienced, Felicity turns to Chase and Talia,

“You didn’t,” she manages to spit out. “You heartless son of a bitch!”

“Ah ah ah Ms. Smoak, watch your language. There’s a kid in the room.” Chase tuts as he flips the light switch next to Felicity. “He was almost your stepson, you probably want to set a good example.” And with that, her worst fears are confirmed as she sees tied to chairs in front of her, William and Samantha, Oliver’s son and his mother. The cloth in their mouths, tied around the back of their heads keeps her from being able to understand what they are saying, but she sees the fear in their eyes, especially William’s. Her heart breaks for the boy and she decides then and there that if she makes it out of this, she’s going to convince both Oliver and Samantha that the boys need to be a part of each other’s lives. Their past arrangements obviously haven’t worked considering this is the second time William has been kidnapped. Felicity twists toward Chase:

“I have to say, I’m a little disappointed Adrian. Kidnapping Oliver’s son isn’t exactly original.”

“Hasn’t that big brain of yours figured it out yet, Felicity? My goal isn’t to be original. It’s to break him. So, why not build on what those who have gone before me have done, all while setting him up for the greatest pain he will ever experience? I’m hoping Talia here will represent Ras al Ghul, and, of course, the kidnapping of his son will remind him of Damien Darkh. That leaves Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson, does it not? And I know just the place to go to accomplish both.”

*******

Team Arrow stands around the bunker discussing the information Evelyn shared with Rene and Curtis. Cryptic though it may be, they are hoping to learn something helpful. For the time being, they have decided to leave Evelyn locked in the cell. While they really would love to have her leave Chase, they don’t have time for that kind of persuasion right now. Not when the one thing she actually told them was that there was a real possibility of Felicity dying. Rescuing her had to be their only focus. And, if he’s honest with himself, Oliver is pretty sure that if he does lose Felicity, he’s going to want Evelyn to stay locked up forever anyway.

“My biggest question is, why would he have someone else kill Felicity? Why wouldn’t he do it himself? Because it sure isn’t because of some promise he made to Evelyn. We all know she is just his tool,” Diggle speaks into the tense silence.

“And he’s never been one to worry about having blood on his hands,” Dinah adds. They have been doing this for the past thirty minutes since Rene and Curtis returned from their conversation with Evelyn. Even with a little more information, they still only have questions and Oliver is getting incredibly frustrated by the lack of answers. He needs a direction, a location, a person to hit. He’s not sure how much longer he can handle the not knowing.

“Hey Ollie,” came Thea’s voice from the computer station where she was slowly working her way through all the data Felicity had on Chase. “I think I found something.” The hesitancy in her voice concerned Oliver as he raced the few feet to his sister, the rest of the team right behind him.

“What is it?” Oliver practically yelled, his anticipation difficult to temper.

“Felicity was monitoring all of Chase’s accounts in all of his aliases. She got a hit yesterday, one that I don’t think she had a chance to see.” Thea takes a breath before she continues and Oliver feels like a bowstring about to snap. “It looks like he purchased a house. And, Ollie, it’s an address you’re going to recognize.”

Oliver looks over his sister’s shoulder and feels like the ground beneath him has disappeared. His shock quickly turns into anger at the thought of Adrian Chase in his old home. That house is a place of hope and peace, and just the thought of him there threatens to destroy all those perfect feelings. As Oliver and Thea step away from the monitors, the rest of the team takes their place. Diggle’s sharp breath indicates that he understands exactly what is going on in Oliver’s mind.

“I don’t get it. What’s the big deal about a house in the suburbs?” Rene voices the question all the new team members have. With a sad glance at Oliver, Diggle responds:

“A couple of years ago, Oliver decided to stop being a vigilante and him and Felicity left town for a while. That’s the house where they lived, and where they thought they would be staying, before coming back to the city when Damien Darkh’s ghosts got out of control.” Understanding and pity appeared on Rene, Curtis, and Dinah’s faces. Oliver can't stand to look at them anymore and turns around, bends over Felicity's desk and stares at the address on the screen.

“He’s going to pay for, Ollie,” Thea states emphatically, “he’s going to pay for it all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twitter: annieworsman
> 
> come hang, if you want!


	5. Keep Your Wrist Straight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Arrow arrives in Ivy Town and Chase and Co arrive at Lian Yu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After yesterday's sizzle reel, my story is probably nothing like the show's, but I am really excited for the last five episodes and to keep writing this! Hope you enjoy!

Oliver starts to jump out of the van when Diggle grabs him by the arm.

“Wait a minute, man. We don’t know what’s waiting for us in there. We need a plan.” Oliver tries to slow his breathing, to think rationally, because somewhere in the back of his mind he knows Digg is right. Unfortunately, the rational part of his mind is pushed aside as an all-consuming need to get to Felicity, to end this, takes hold. He turns to Digg:

“If Felicity is what is waiting for us in there, then I’m going. Now.” Within seconds Oliver is out of the van and running to around the house, the rest of the team several feet behind him, confused about where they are headed. Clarity occurs when they see him kick through and shatter the glass back door. Team Arrow rushes inside and almost fall over each other as Oliver stops abruptly as he sees the person sitting in the middle of the room. Movement begins again quickly as a guard begins to fight, but Thea, decked out in her Speedy ensemble, takes him down with one arrow in the leg and a swift kick to the head.

Oliver stares at the woman in the middle of the room for several seconds before she grunts and moves her head as if to say “hello, a little help please?” This jolts Oliver out of his shock and he rushes over.

“Samantha,” he breathes out as he undoes the knot at the back of her head. “What are you doing here? Where’s William?” he continues, seemingly asking it all in one long exhale. He pulls a knife out of his pocket to release her wrists and ankles from their bounds. Before answering, she shakes out her arms and legs, attempting to regain feeling, but any joy she may have experienced at being rescued is gone before it appears because her son is gone.

“They took him. They took him and Felicity,” Samantha angrily cries out. There is a collective intake of breath from the room, even the newer members who don’t know William are still worried about Felicity.

“I’m tired of your enemies taking my son, Oliver. You decided to not be a part of his life to keep him safe, but this man, Chase, Felicity called him, still managed to find and kidnap us, then take him away from me. My son is missing AGAIN!” Samantha yells as she stands up, inches away from Oliver. Everything in him wants to yell back (“He’s my son too!” “He was supposed to be safe!”), but his frustration doesn’t matter now. He didn’t think it was possible, but everything just got so much worse.

“Samantha, I know you’re angry. I know you’re terrified and so many other emotions you can’t and shouldn’t have to control right now. I know and I’m feeling it too. But, we have to know what happened here so we can figure out where they are and get our son and Felicity back safely.” Oliver placatingly responds, impressing everyone in the room with his new-found ability to remain calm. In his head, though, Oliver thinks he is about to lose it. Just when they think they have gotten ahead of, or, at the very least, caught up with Prometheus, they discover they are still miles behind. He would love if once, just once, he could have an enemy that was easy to outsmart. Mostly, though, he is simply freaking out about the fact that the two people he loves most in this world have been taken by a psychopath that he can’t even find, much less stop.

“This Chase person took us a few nights ago and drove us here. When he was here, we were free to move around the house, I guess he believed we wouldn’t be able to escape him. When he would leave, this guy,” Samantha motions to the guard knocked-out at Thea’s feet, "stayed around to watch us while we were tied up. I don’t think his concern was someone breaking in, but ensuring we didn’t leave. At least that is what his conversation with Felicity made me believe. I think he wanted you to find me and to find me here. He didn’t want you knowing too early.”

“That sounds like Chase,” Diggle inserts, “Part of his torture of Oliver is keeping him in the dark until knowing can have the greatest, and most painful, impact.”

“He kept talking to Felicity about how he was going to break you,” she responds, looking at Oliver.

“Did he say how? Or where?” Thea questions, already tired of the chit chat. She had a sister and a nephew to save.

“Not exactly, but he did mention several names. He talked about Damien Darkh and how he took William because Damien did and that he chose the woman who helps him because she should remind you of someone.”

“Ras al Ghul?” Oliver asks for clarification, not liking where this information is leading. Terrified of any other names that might come out of Samantha’s mouth.

“That was it. Then he said two others, and that he could hurt you with them at the same place. And Oliver, one of those was your friend Tommy’s dad.”

Oliver’s head feels like it’s spinning. He has a feeling that last name was going to be the man who scared him the most before he knew Adrian Chase. The man whose sole mission was to take away every thing Oliver ever loved. And, if he’s right, there’s only one place that he, Malcolm Merlyn, and Slade Wilson have in common.

As much as he hates the idea of Felicity and William having to go there, Oliver thinks Lian Yu is the perfect spot for this show down. At least this way, if he fails, he can just stay.

*********

Felicity reaches down and takes William’s hand as they walk down the steps of the private jet Chase had somehow chartered (if she had to take a guess, she’d bet it was Talia’s connections). She takes in the sand and the trees surrounding her, and, just like the last two times she stepped foot on this God-forsaken island, she hopes this is the last time she ever has to see this place. She doesn’t have bad memories here. In fact, some of them are pretty great (stepping on landmines surprisingly included). Oliver, however, has horrible memories associated with Lian Yu, and if Felicity is on this island, then Oliver is going to be too and she hates that for him. She knows he has mostly come back here by choice, but being on the island still punishes him. Felicity has a feeling that if things don’t go their way in the fight against Prometheus and company, then Oliver may be punishing himself here for the rest of his life.

Vowing to herself to not let that happen, Felicity’s eyes are everywhere at once. They’re on the ground searching for landmines and they are shooting around the trees as they enter the forest, hoping to have some inkling for how to get back to the plane, if it’s even still there. She finds herself wishing for breadcrumbs, but hopes her keen observation skills will do the trick. Felicity thinks that while their enemies keep getting smarter, after five years in the vigilante business, she’s gotten smarter too. She leans down to get closer to William and whispers:

“We’re going to be fine.”

“I know,” he responds simply.

“It’s okay if you’re afraid, William,” Felicity tells him, thinking he’s attempting to be brave for her.

“I was afraid on the plane, but then I heard the guy that took us talk about the Green Arrow and I knew everything was going to be okay. If the Green Arrow knows where we are, he’ll save us. He’s saved me before, you know.” Felicity is surprisingly speechless for a few seconds, completely in awe of the boy trekking next to her and his total faith in Oliver. She realizes then, that she hasn’t been afraid either. Angry, annoyed, and frustrated, yes. But afraid? Not really and for the same reason as William.

“He’s saved me before too,” she says with more pride than she should have, admitting this isn’t the first time she’s gotten herself in trouble. They smile at each other, as if sharing a secret. They’re in this exclusive club and that gives them confidence. Felicity’s heart simultaneously warms and breaks as she observes William. If things had gone differently last year, this boy would be her stepson and she finds herself wishing, not for the first time, that he was.

She tears her eyes away from the boy as the forest gets brighter around them. They’re walking out of the trees and onto a camp. There are tables and tents, but the look on Chase’s face as he turns to look at them once stopping at one of the tables, makes Felicity think they aren’t here because it’s a nice rest stop. This place is just another in the long line of tactics Chase is using to hurt Oliver. Fryers, she thinks. Torture. Her anger at Chase continues to grow, as does her hatred of Malcolm, for landing Oliver on this island in the first place.

“Well, get comfortable,” Chase exclaims, bringing Felicity’s attention back to him. “We’re going to wait here until our guest of honor arrives. I really think Oliver’s going to like it here.” It takes every ounce of self-control Felicity has not to punch the smug grin right off Chase’s face. But, just in case she does lose control, she repeats to herself “keep your wrist straight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weekends actually leave me less time to write, but I will do my best to have the next chapter up by Sunday or Monday!


	6. I Would Be Happy to Stick a Needle in Your Neck Anytime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Arrow arrives on Lian Yu and run into old friends and old foes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all!
> 
> I was hoping this would be up earlier today, but it's hard to write anything when my 2.5 year old decides not to nap! You guys are seriously wonderful and I am so grateful not only that you are reading this, but that you are so encouraging! Thank you so much!
> 
> PS- DC shows are back this week! YES!

When Oliver left Lian Yu after everything with Ivo and Slade and the freighter, he never imagined he would go back. The place held nothing but pain and suffering for him, so there was no conceivable reason for him to ever return. But, as the plane reaches the island and he prepares to step foot on it one more time, he can’t help but wonder if Lian Yu is where he actually belongs. There are few concepts in this world Oliver understands better than pain and suffering. He’s been told he lives as if he’s an island-alone, self-sufficient-so maybe an island is the perfect place for him.

Oliver looks around at the team of people surrounding him and remembers that not long before he was thinking about how they are his family. He knows he doesn’t want to be an island, but he’s not sure if he can do that without Felicity. He also knows he won’t have the strength to do it if he loses both her and William. Most people would think that living alone on an uninhabited island would be the hardest thing. The reality is, though, living in community is often harder. But it is better. It is so much better.

With renewed vigor, Oliver clears his throat to gain the attention of his companions. Everyone is ready to go.

“Thank you for this. For risking your lives not only to stop a criminal, but to rescue my family. To rescue our family. This is what we do. This team saves our city. But, more importantly, we save each other.” Oliver takes a deep breath as he sees pride in the eyes of his teammates, particularly in John and Thea, who know just how far he has come. “There should be back up waiting for us when we touch down. We do whatever it takes to stop Chase and Talia, but our priority is the safety of William and Felicity. Whoever can get them out, do it. Chase may think he’s outsmarted us,  but I think he has underestimated us too. A man is easily broken, a family is a lot stronger.” With that declaration, he opens the hatch and leads his team onto the shore of the place that simultaneously terrifies him and brings him peace.

Oliver sees footprints in the sand, and the knowledge that Chase isn’t trying to hide scares him more than he lets on. It is a lot harder to have the upper hand when someone wants to be found. For now, he’ll consider the fact that they know where to start looking as a win. Not even five steps into the trees, someone appears in front of them.

“Nyssa, thank you for coming. You do know that you can just say hello, you don’t have to appear out of thin air.” Oliver's attempt at humor falls flat. Nyssa looks confused for a moment, then responds:

“You asked for help, Oliver, so I came. That is what we do now, is it not?”

“It is, and, again, thank you. I need your help with Talia. She was my teacher, so it will be difficult for me to beat her. But the two of you had the same teacher. If anyone can go up against her and win, it’s you.”

“I will do it,” Nyssa replied confidently. “I will take care of Talia and help you save your Beloved and your son.” Relief flooded Oliver. While him and Nyssa have forged a partnership since they were forced to marry, he still wouldn’t call them friends and was not completely sure she would help.

“Alright, then, leave Talia for Nyssa and the rest of us focus on Chase, Felicity, and William. Let’s go.” Oliver commanded, leading his team through the forest. He hears Digg behind him and can’t help the smile that twitches on his face:

“Watch out for landmines!”

Oliver follows the obvious path created by Chase and the others, feeling the pit in his stomach grow as he becomes more and more certain about where it leads. He doesn’t want Felicity or William anywhere near the place where he was tortured and watched friends die. At the same time, his anticipation is at an all-time high. Setting his eyes on Felicity and William is all he’s wanted for hours now. And ending this thing with Chase, it has been his priority for months. Oliver is so close to both of these things, so he pushes thoughts of pain and swords and scars out of his mind.

The light around him grows brighter as they almost reach the edge of the forest. He thinks it’s fitting that the closer he gets to Felicity, the lighter everything around him gets. She is his light. They should probably stop and have a last-minute strategy session, but his desire to see her, to comfort William, to end this, is too strong. He steps out of the trees and feels his heart in his throat. He should have known. He thought the island itself would satisfy Chase’s longing for him to be reminded of all the enemies that had bested him, that took something from him, but apparently being on the island was only to remind him of Merlyn. Chase had bigger, more horrifying plans for the last and most fear-inducing of Oliver’s opponents.

He’s standing there, in between the two people Oliver loves most in the world, their arms appearing tinier than usual with his gruff hands wrapped around them. Fury swells in Oliver at the look of pure glee on the man’s face. This is it. The final showdown. And it begins with a simple:

“Hey kid.”

********

Felicity and William sit at the table. She guesses Chase’s plan isn’t starvation or dehydration, because he had packed them each granola bars and bottled water. William has barely stopped talking since they sat down. She thinks that he’s getting more nervous the longer they are there without a Green Arrow spotting. He tells her about his mom and how she always says she wants them to go on vacation to the islands, but how he doesn’t think she would want to if she knew how cold they actually were. He spouts off all sorts of facts he has learned about The Flash and Green Arrow and Felicity thinks her and Cisco need to have a conversation about how to better hide identities, if an elementary school boy can figure out so much. He explains how he begged his mom for archery lessons, but she said no, opting instead for Tae Kwon Do. William thinks it’s pretty cool and hopes he can be a hero someday.

“You already are a hero, William,” Felicity pronounces. She continues at the confused look on his face: “I bet your mom thinks you’re a hero because you make her so happy. And, today, you are my hero. You are being so brave and that makes me want to be brave too. So, thank you.” William beams at her and Felicity knows the words she just spoke were completely true. It must be something in the Queen genes, because no one makes her feel quite as calm and as brave as Oliver and William do.

Felicity thinks William’s right about the cold, though. She’s not sure if it’s the weight of waiting or the chill in the air, but she can’t seem to stop shivering. William offered her his coat earlier, but she insisted he keep it, claiming it probably wouldn’t fit her anyway. Her heart hurts for Oliver and the time he has missed with his incredible son, but it also hurts for her and the year she lost with him as the decision to push him away was made without her.

Felicity longs for home. Not just for Star City, but for a place that feels like home. The closest she has is the bunker, but even that hasn’t felt much like home this past year. She longs for what could have been. For the life she could have had with Oliver and with William. She wants a chance at it, but knows that after spending these hours with William that it’s a package deal. She wants them both. Just as she comes to that realization, Felicity is startled by the sound of feet approaching. Chase had left a while ago, leaving Talia to watch over them. At the time, Felicity knew Oliver was probably on his way and the smartest move was to stay put. Now, though, as she notices that Chase isn’t alone, Felicity realizes she and William should have attempted to run when they had the chance.

“Ah Felicity, you have no idea how much I hoped we would meet again.” Felicity finds herself angry about so many things, but at the moment all she can think about is how Slade Wilson has ruined Australian accents for her. What used to be sexy, now strikes fear and she is super pissed about it.

“Unfortunately, that feeling isn’t mutual, Slade. But, I would be happy to stick a needle into your neck anytime,” Felicity responds, hoping snark will infuse her with the bravery she felt leave the second she spotted the man who had once held her at sword point. She turns to the other man in the clearing:

“What are you up to, Chase?” she asks angrily.

“It is my understanding that Mr. Wilson here owes Oliver a choice and I just wanted to make sure he had that opportunity.” Felicity’s mind spins at that response and the possibilities of what might actually happen on this island are becoming more real and more terrifying by the second. She chances a look at Talia and sees her face marked with confusion.

“What about you, Talia? What are you up to?” Felicity questions, hoping her earlier instinct was right and that Chase didn’t inform Talia of the entire plan.

“I want Mr. Queen to suffer as I have suffered the loss of my father.” Talia answers, a slight tremor in her voice, as if she’s wondering what she exactly is doing. Felicity seizes the opportunity and asks the question that has been on her mind ever since Ivy Town:

“At the expense of a little boy, Talia? I’m not sure your father would approve. As soulless of a man as he was, he still had a code.” Felicity notices the uneasiness on Talia’s face and hopes it is enough to at least save William, if not stop this whole thing. Chase interrupts before Felicity can continue:

“As entertaining as this conversation is, our guests should be here any minute. Mr. Wilson, they’re all yours.” And at the sweeping of Chase’s hand in the direction of Felicity and William, Slade comes over and grabs each of them by the arm, whispering in Felicity’s ear:

“You’re just as beautiful as last time I saw you, my dear Felicity, but even stronger than I remember. I’ve always loved a strong woman.” Felicity can’t help but think she prefers Slade’s sword at her neck than his voice in her ear. The sound of footsteps draws her focus away from Slade and her eyes connect with Oliver’s as he and their team finally arrive. She sees the anger in his eyes and she hopes it’s enough to save her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably 1 more chapter, possibly a separate epilogue to go!
> 
> Twitter: annieworsman


	7. I'm More Than Okay With That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end of the road, y'all!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a lot longer than the other chapters, and possibly a little rushed, but I really wanted to get it out before new episodes aired. 
> 
> A big thank you at the bottom :)

“Hey kid.” Felicity saw Oliver’s grip tighten on his bow. She knows how Slade envokes horrible memories in her, so she imagines that what Oliver is remembering is even worse. Shado. Killing Slade. His mother’s death. She thinks there are too many monsters in this world and she has had the displeasure of encountering several of them. She has also had the pleasure of defeating them and she is determined to add Chase and Slade (again) to that list. Talia’s not a monster, but she has aligned herself with them today, so she must also be stopped. She takes a minute to study Talia and follows her line of sight to an unexpected face she notices for the first time. Oliver may hate to admit when he needs help, but he has learned over the years that sometimes asking for it is necessary and today she is so grateful he called on Nyssa.

“What are you doing here, sister?” Talia spits out at Nyssa.

“A friend asked for help and when he told me you were here, well, I just could not resist.” Nyssa responds.

“Your friend killed our father!”

“You left a long time ago, Talia. You did not know him as well as I did. He did not give Oliver a choice, and trust me when I say we are all better off with him gone.” Nyssa states in an attempt to placate her sister. The shock on Talia’s face quickly morphs into outrage, but the sound of Chase’s voice prevents her from acting on that rage quite yet.

“Ladies, you two can hash out your family issues later. Now that everyone has arrived, we should really get on to the main event. We are all here become Mr. Queen has killed someone we love and it is time for him to pay.” Chase states as if he’s the emcee of an event, and not a serial killer about to destroy someone. Felicity looks over at Oliver and sees he is becoming impatient. She knows him. She knows his tells. She knows he wants the talking to be over and to get on with the fighting. He’s tired of waiting, he is ready to do something. She’s nervous, though. She trusts Oliver to save her, but she’s worried about what kind of toll all of this will take on him. He needs a complete victory here, and she’s not sure that is possible.

“Just go ahead and kill me, Adrian,” Oliver yells out. “Let’s just end this thing.” If only it were that easy, Oliver, Felicity thinks. He should know by now that Chase’s plan doesn’t involve killing, at least not killing Oliver.

“You still haven’t figured it out, have you Oliver? I’m not interested in killing you. You deserve a fate much worse than death. You deserve to experience the loss we feel every day. And that’s what Mr. Wilson is here to help me accomplish.” Chase gestures toward Slade with a confident grin and Felicity realizes that time is running out. She goes through her priorities in her mind: 1. Save William, 2. Get the team safely off the island, 3. If they can’t win it all, ensure the loss won’t shatter Oliver, and 4. Save herself.

 “You want Oliver to experience the loss of a loved one?” Felicity cries out at Chase, desperate to bide them as much time as possible, hoping someone will come up with a plan. “He already has! And he already has at the hands of Slade. Death is not something new to him!”

“You’re right, Ms. Smoak. Oliver understands death better than most of us. Which is why when Mr. Wilson offered a slightly different solution, I quickly agreed. I will admit, I would be content with your death, but I believe that this new plan, no matter the outcome, Oliver won’t be able to come back from.” Felicity’s mind is spinning, grasping for possibilities, for answers, at Chase’s declaration. What could be worse than the death of the woman you love or your child?

Felicity feels Slade’s grip on her arm tighten, but she refuses to look at him. She won’t give him the satisfaction, but she’s also afraid that seeing his face will crush any confidence she has left. She assumes he’s smiling, without a care in the world, but right now she needs to be the one sure of victory, at least that’s what she needs to present. Fake it till you make it, right? Except, she’s never really been able to fake it with Oliver, so she needs to start believing it. Start believing that they can win and they can all get out of here safely, because she needs Oliver to believe it. And then, she hears that accent she has come to despise so completely:

“You know me well, kid. You know what I have lost over the years. Shado and my son. I’ve been alone for a lot of years now, thanks to you, but now I have an opportunity to get off this hell of an island and I really don’t want to leave alone.” The puzzle pieces are starting to fall into place in Felicity’s brain as Slade talks. William’s not going to die. She’s not going to die. And, even if Slade gets off this damned island with one of them, she is one of the best hackers in the world. Even if Slade and Chase have contingencies in place for her technical skills, she knows they have underestimated her. People always do and she has never been more glad.

********

The utter joy Oliver felt as he heard Chase say they weren’t going to kill Felicity or William was extremely short-lived. Pure disgust filled him at the thought of Slade forcing Felicity or William to stay with him. No matter who Slade takes, Oliver essentially loses them both. If he takes William, Felicity would be with him, but the guilt would crush her and she would spend all of her time searching for him. Even if they found him, could Felicity ever forgive Oliver for putting her in that position in the first place? And any chance he had of knowing William at some point in his life would be gone if he is forced to be the surrogate son of a mad man.

If Slade takes Felicity, he’s pretty sure William would blame Oliver and Oliver knows all of his own attention would be put toward finding Felicity and he would probably lose any chance of knowing his son in the process. And if he did find Felicity, would she ever be able to look at him without thinking of her time with Slade? Chase may be a psychopath, but he’s also a genius at psychological torture. The realization that no matter what happens, Oliver loses, hits him like a punch in the gut.

Oliver looks at Felicity and the love, trust, and confidence he sees shining back both encourages him and makes the loss he’s already starting to feel even greater. He sees her glance around at the people behind him and he’s overwhelmed with gratefulness for this amazing woman in front of him. She knows him better than almost anyone. And in this moment, she knows he’s attempting to figure out how to save them all on his own. But she’s there to remind him, even if it’s just with her eyes, that he is not alone. He has a team. And he has her. He is not alone and she believes in him.

“Ivo once gave you a choice, kid,” Slade interrupts and Oliver is annoyed at the abrupt end of his moment with Felicity. “You chose wrong. Today, I am giving you another choice. Who is going back with you and who gets to live with me? Am I getting a son or a wife?”

Oliver almost vomits at the idea of either. He sees William’s confused eyes and all he wants is to be his son’s hero, but he can’t let Felicity go. Oliver turns his gaze on Felicity and there’s a fire there.

“Save William,” she states assuredly, nodding at him to display that she can handle Slade. He knows if anyone can, it’s Felicity. “I’ll find you. Or, I guess you’ll find me,” she begins to babble. Then, as she gets her words together, she says the one thing that can give him the hope needs:

“We’ll find each other.”

And with that, Oliver announces his decision:

“I choose William. Let him go, Slade.” And, surprisingly, Slade does. Slade pushes William forward and Thea runs forward to grab him. She looks at Oliver who yells at her:

“Get him to the plane. John, go with her. Wait for us if you can, leave if you have to.” He hates not having John around to help fight, but if Slade or Chase change their minds, he needs someone to pilot that plane off the island with or without him. He turns back to Chase and Slade, bow at the ready. Slade has grabbed Felicity and taken off running in the other direction. With a quick look at them, Oliver sends Curtis, Rene, and Dinah after Slade. It takes everything in them not to go save Felicity himself, but he knows she wants him to stop Chase. Chase isn’t his priority, but he is Felicity’s and those last looks they shared reminded him to trust her.

“It’s just you and me, Adrian,” Oliver calls out, as he sees Talia and Nyssa approach each other out of the corner of his eye.

“We don’t have to fight, Oliver. I’ve already said I’m not going to kill you, so you might as well let me go and at least save yourself from physical pain.” Chase replies, lifting his own bow just in case.

“There’s no way in hell I’m letting you go, Adrian. Slade took Felicity, so I’m paying for my crimes. It’s time for you to pay for yours.” And with that, Oliver lets an arrow fly.

*******

Felicity hears the footsteps behind them, but doesn’t stop running. She wants her team to save her, but she also knows about Slade. Even before the mirakuru, he was a force to be reckoned with. She doesn’t think the team can stop him without Oliver and he better be busy taking down Slade, not following after her. This is Chase’s time. Slade’s will come later, she will make sure of it. Even if she has to endure time alone with him. She is concerned about the lingering effects of the mirakuru. She knows he used to see Shado. She heard him tell Oliver so. Felicity hopes he’s with it enough to recognize the difference between her and the woman he loved.

She wants to look down, to watch for landmines, but Slade is pulling her along too quickly and she has to watch for tree branches instead. It is just like her to be annoyed that if she does step on a landmine, her rescue isn’t going to end with a sweaty Oliver on top of her when she should be figuring out how to get away from Slade. They keep running until the reach the shore where the plane they flew here is waiting. Before they get too close though, one of Curtis’s balls appears right in front of them and explodes.

The explosion is not enough to knock out Slade, but it does stop him long enough for Curtis, Rene, and Dinah to catch up. Slade pulls Felicity in front of him as he draws out his sword that Felicity assumes Chase brought for him. And, really, Felicity is not a fan of the de ja vu she is feeling at having Slade’s sword to her throat. She can only hope it ends as well as the last time. Dinah, ready to scream, closes her mouth, not wanting to cause Slade’s blade to accidentally slit Felicity’s throat. Rene lowers his gun and Curtis puts up his hands placatingly. They’re at a standstill as the team tries to figure out a way to get Felicity away from Slade. She really doesn’t want anyone else to get her, so she considers telling them to stand down. She’ll go with Slade for now if she has to. It’s better than him killing all three of her friends, which she has no doubt he can and will do. Felicity takes a deep breath to prepare herself to announce she’s going with Slade and regrets it immediately as she feels the sword push slightly against her throat.

Before she can linger too long on the reality of being way to close to yet another of Slade’s swords she hears a loud bang from above her and a ripping sound behind her. All five of the people on the beach look up and see another plane getting close to the island, door open with a large gun pointing out. Slade turns her with him and they see their own plane half of one of its wings completely blown off.

“A.R.G.U.S.” Slade growls and Felicity could jump for joy. Slade doesn't have a way off the island and there are men parachuting out of that plane. Back up. Lyla must have installed some sort of alarm in the A.R.G.U.S. prison and Chase set it off when he released Slade. Felicity’s surprised Chase didn’t think of this, but maybe he thought they would have more time. Or maybe he just underestimated Lyla.

In all the commotion, Curtis had set loose his other ball and it exploded right next to Slade’s ear. It was a calculated risk with Felicity being so close, but Slade was probably going to kill her before the A.R.G.U.S. agents reached her anyway. Thankfully, she saw the ball out of the corner of her eye and had already started pushing Slade’s arm away. The explosion knocked Slade to the ground and Felicity ripped herself free and started to run. She hoped her team could hold their own until backup got to them and she took off through the trees to get back to Oliver.

*******

Oliver and Chase are fighting hand to hand, bows clashing back at the camp. Oliver’s getting tired and his left arm is bleeding from where Chase slashed him with an arrow. He got a good kick in at Chase’s knee and he can tell from the way Chase is limping that it’s hurting. Chase kicks and sweeps Oliver off his feet, arrow pointed right at him when Oliver hears a plane. He doesn’t think Chase has noticed, but Chase didn’t spend five years of his life learning to be constantly aware of his surroundings. Since he’s fighting Chase and Slade went the opposite direction, he doesn’t think it’s Thea, Digg, and William taking off. So, it’s either Slade and Felicity getting away or another plane coming in. Either way, it gives Oliver renewed vigor and he pushes Chase off of him and runs towards the trees. He knows the island better than anyone and the forest could give him an advantage.

Before he gets there though, he hears Nyssa cry out and he turns around to send an arrow flying toward Talia. It hits her in the shoulder just as one of Chase’s arrows swishes by his ear. Chase is right there, arrow ready to hit him wherever Chase wants. Oliver knows Chase won’t kill him, but he has to stay fighting long enough for the team to get Felicity to safety. That’s when a gun-shot rings out behind Chase. They both turn and he sees Felicity, gun in hand, pointed at Chase.

“Found this in your pack you left down in the tent. Thanks for keeping him distracted for me, Oliver” Felicity says, nodding toward the gun in her hands, and Oliver can’t help but snort. Distracting Chase is all he has really been doing during their fight, but he thought he was providing a distraction so Felicity could leave, not so she could sneak back. But, this is Felicity, his Felicity, so of course she came back. They would always come back to each other.

“You won’t use that, Felicity. You’re not a killer.” Chase responds.

“Aren’t I?” Felicity questions. “You did your homework, Adrian. You know about Havenrock. You know about what I was willing to do with Helix. I don’t want to use this, but I will.” And then the sounds of running footsteps reach Oliver’s ears and he realizes Felicity was never planning on using the gun. He wasn’t the distraction, she was.

Several men appear out of the trees and grabbed Talia, and Chase.

“A.R.G.U.S.” Felicity answers his unspoken question. She was safe. Oliver literally fell to his knees in relief as she turns to the agent closest to her: “The people on the beach? Are they okay?”

“We arrested Slade Wilson. We believe he did cut your tall friend in the leg, but everyone appears to be fine. A loud scream seemed to disorient him long enough for our agents to stop him,” the agent responds.

Oliver and Felicity smiled at each other and Oliver stands up.

“Told you we needed a team.” Felicity gloats as she walked over to him.

“We didn’t just need a team,” Oliver replies, “we needed a family.” Felicity nods as she wraps her arms around his neck. They put their foreheads together and take a minute to breathe the same air. Oliver is overwhelmed with emotion: the relief of having her safe, the familiarity of having her in his arms, the joy of being together. Tears fill his eyes and he takes a deep breath before he asks the question he’s been dying to ask ever since they got stuck in the bunker:

“Will you be my family, Felicity?”

She responds by angling her face and bringing their lips together. For the first time in a long time, Oliver feels at home.

“Yes,” she breathes out. “You and me together. The team. And William. That’s all I could ever want.”

“William?” he questions.

“Yep. You okay with that?” she asks him with a smile. Oliver’s face lights up. He doesn’t know how they’re going to do it. How they’re going to raise a kid when they spend their nights as vigilantes. How they’re going to convince Samantha to let him be a part of William’s life after all of this. How they’re going to work through all of their problems from the past year. But he does know two things: He loves this woman more than anything in the world and together, they can do anything.

“I’m more than okay with that,” he speaks against her lips before kissing her with all the love, passion, and trust he can muster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'ALL! 
> 
> Thank you thank you thank you. I have wanted to write fiction for years, but have always been afraid that I wouldn't be any good at it, so I never had the guts to try. Not too long ago I discovered fan fiction and I decided to finally give fiction writing a go. I am so beyond grateful for your encouragement and just for reading my work. Your kudos and comments made me feel like I could actually do this. I could tell a story. Stories have power and thank you for letting me share one of the ones that has been rolling around in my head with you.
> 
> I'm thinking about writing something AU next. Possibly based off something that happened to me in high school (although, with a very different ending, considering this is Oliver and Felicity and I did not end up with my high school crush). 
> 
> I have found something I love doing and want to keep doing and it's because of y'all, so thank you!
> 
> Twitter: annieworsman

**Author's Note:**

> Twitter: annieworsman


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